Day of Caring

This year's Day of Caring was a huge success. Unfortunately, I could not be there because I could not get the day off from work, but I did stop down on my lunch to see the progress. The Day of Caring took place on Friday, September 3rd. When I arrived, I could not believe all the work that was accomplished. United Health Care sent 22 employees to help us out for the day. It seems that this year we got the most done in a long time during the Day of Caring.

Galen Semprebon led a crew of people cleaning up the front area of the property. A new patio was installed at the front doors. The area was also graded so that the water will run away from the doors and not towards them. The front gardens were also tended to. The mulch was dug out and fabric was laid down to prevent weeds. Then a layer of stone was spread. The stone requires much less work to maintain than the mulch.

Jim Miller led a crew of volunteers trimming back the brush along the mainline. I haven't seen it yet, but I am told that the trees between Newberry Road and Skylark Airport Station are cleared back.

Tammy Babbitt was leading a crew cleaning the car fleet and Visitor Center Offices, while her husband, Bill Babbitt, was busy with crews preparing brochures for the Big E and priming cars 154 and 771.

At the end of the day, everyone got together to unload the Rails to the Darkside trailer, so that setup can begin for that event.

Overall, the Day of Caring was a huge success! This could not be accomplished without the cooperation of the United Way and United Health Care, as well as our volunteers who stepped up to lead projects: Galen Semprebon, Dale Sherman, Jim Miller, Carol Zenczak, Bill Babbitt, Tammy Babbitt, and Larry Lunden.